Agriculture committee  I can tell you what would be good to see and what would make us feel supported by the government. First, I'd like to live solely off the market. I basically don't want the money I earn to come from subsidies or government assistance. However, if my competitor is receiving assistance, I definitely want to be able to receive it as well.

Agriculture committee  I think all the programs should be reviewed so that everything is covered. Of course, agriculture changes, the weather changes, and markets always adjust, but necessarily in the short term. We have to try to cover everything. For example, as Mr. Drouin mentioned earlier, we've never seen such weather swings.

Agriculture committee  I don't think it's possible to do that at the last minute, but some members are definitely thinking about it. I hear them discussing it. Some people have been in the business for many years and are questioning things, somewhat as they're doing back home. I don't think we'll be able to go on for very long competing against foreign producers that export their products here and enjoy greater assistance measures than we have in Canada.

Agriculture committee  That's sad because it's definitely very important. If we go to war, we need to be able to do so on equal terms. If our competitors are permitted to use products to which we no longer have access or that we're no longer allowed to use, we simply won't be able to compete. That's obvious.

Agriculture committee  That's right.

Agriculture committee  Yes.

Agriculture committee  I've heard those comments made by my colleagues, and I agree with them. After a disaster, you don't want to wait two years to rebuild your house. You start over and you keep going. The same is true in our case. Agriculture is in perpetual motion. We finish the season, we make a little progress, then we start over.

Agriculture committee  Claims could also be filed with the federal government. The idea would be to provide protection by capping interest rates at a certain level, at least until rates start to go back down in the short or medium term. That compensatory measure could provide some assistance during the transition period.

Agriculture committee  What's important in all this is to know that we in the agriculture sector are mostly family businesses that have to deal with multinational corporations. Obviously the concentration of distribution doesn't really work to our advantage. It's the multinationals that make the decisions, and they virtually decide who lives and dies.

Agriculture committee  Prompt action by the programs is definitely a decisive factor. For example, the new season is starting, but so far we've received no compensation or assistance for the year just completed, even though we should have it by now. We did the preparation and the necessary work, but it has simply taken too long.

Agriculture committee  As I just said, it's really taking a very long time. I don't know how you could say it otherwise. There are deadlines that have to be met in this process, and I think everything's been done right. I'm more or less here because I'm waiting for answers.

Agriculture committee  We need it now. We have to buy seeds, fertilizer, airline tickets for the workers and so on. We started requesting foreign workers last October. We constantly need cash.

Agriculture committee  I couldn't answer that question as it pertains to Canada, since I deal solely with the United States for fresh vegetables. The pressure that producers face definitely won't lower production costs. Every additional requirement will obviously increase costs. Then we're being asked to charge lower prices to reduce the costs for Canadians.

Agriculture committee  If we don't have the same regulations, we'll definitely lose out to that competition.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns about the future of Canada's horticulture sector. My name is Pascal Forest, and I am president of the Producteurs de légumes de transformation du Québec. I also sit on the board of Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada and am a fifth-generation horticultural producer.